1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charge carrier member, and more specifically to a charge carrier member which can be repetitively used and which is adapted for the transfer-type electrostatic recording systems, and to a method of forming a copy image using the above charge carrier member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional transfer-type electrostatic recording system consists of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charge carrier layer of a charge carrier member by imparting an electric charge corresponding to the data such as characters, signs or figures by optical or charged ionic means, contacting a developing agent having a charge of the polarity opposite to that of the charge of the formed latent image to visualize the image, transferring the visualized image onto a transfer medium such as transfer paper by the electrostatic means or thermal means, and removing the residual toner and residual charge from the surface of the charge carrier layer after the image has been transferred.
Conventional charge carrier members used for the transfer-type electrostatic recording system can be represented by the lead oxide binder-type photosensitive member, selenium vaporized-type photosensitive member, and the like.
The electrostatic recording characteristics of these charge carrier members, however, are affected by the humidity. In particular, the recording characteristics are deteriorated in an atmosphere of high humidity conditions.
Further, the charge carrier members are subject to deterioration by heat. Or, photoconductive members such as zinc oxide, selenium and the like employed in the charge carrier members lose their potential characteristics or undergo the crystallization when they are heated. Therefore, use of the charge carrier members for the thermal transfer-type electrostatic recording system requires the provision of a large quenching unit, which causes the system to become bulky. Further, the provision of the quenching unit does not substantially help solve/the problem of weakness to heat.
There has been proposed a charge carrier member made of a heat-resistant resin such as fluorine-containing resin, polyamide resin or the like. However, although the charge carrier member employing the heat-resistant resin is satisfactory from the viewpoint of resistance against heat, the pattern developed between the charge carrier layer and the conductive support member tends to appear on the surface of the charge carrier layer, and is visualized as a toner image.
The picture obtained by using the charge carrier member which is made up of the heat-resistant resin presents a problem with regard to its quality. Moreover, the charge carrier member is electrically and locally deteriorated after it is repetitively irradiated with ions. Namely, the charge carrier member made up of the heat-resistant resin is not satisfactory with regard to durability.
Further, the problem still remains with regard to the adhesiveness to the electrically conductive support member. The charge carrier member often peels off of the support member when it is being used.